1931 Ellsworth Vines Meadow Club Doubles Trophies Lot of 2....

Description

1931 Ellsworth Vines Meadow Club Doubles Trophies Lot of 2.
Vines made the sports pages at this tournament for falling ill
during a match, and the scene is recounted both in a letter home to
his future wife and a photograph that are presented within this
auction. All's well that ends well, however, and Vines clearly
ended well, earning this pair of gleaming prizes. The taller piece
is engraved, "Meadow Club of Southampton, Invitation Tournament,
1931, Mixed Doubles, First Place, Won by, H. Ellsworth Vines,
Jr." The shorter, stouter piece is engraved, "Meadow Club of
Southampton, Invitation Tournament, 1931, Mens Doubles, First
Place, Won by, H. Ellsworth Vines, Jr." Each is stamped
"Gorham Sterling" on base. Pitcher has dent in base, but
otherwise typical tarnishing is all that requires mention in a
discussion of condition.

The Ellsworth Vines Collection
The greatest figure of Depression-era tennis, the lanky but
heavy-hitting Vines was assigned the title of "greatest tennis
player ever" by none other than the legendary Bill Tilden, who
makes the assertion in a signed photograph offered as part of the
remarkable collection to follow. In four separate tennis seasons of
the 1930's, Vines was ranked number one, either alone or jointly,
and the tangible evidence of that dominance appears in these pages.
The collection comes to us from Vines' son, Ellsworth Vines III,
and makes its hobby debut in this auction. Each lot will be
accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from the son of this
superior athlete.